Stories for April 2020

Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 09:56 UTC
Spain authorizes Italian 1,800 world tour cruise passengers to disembark in Barcelona

Hundreds of passengers from an Italian cruise ship disembarked in Barcelona on Monday after five weeks without setting foot on land because of coronavirus restrictions. Since the ship left the northern Italian city of Venice on Jan 5 for a round-the-world tour, no coronavirus case has been found onboard.
Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 09:55 UTC
Falklands appoints new Financial Secretary, takes office 24 April: quarantine and swab test waiting for him

The Falkland Islands Government announced on Monday the appointment of Tim Waggott as the new Financial Secretary, taking up his position from the 24 April 2020.
Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 09:52 UTC
Germany and other EU countries cautiously taking tentative steps to ease lockdown measures

Germany and other parts of Europe took tentative steps to ease lockdown measures on Monday but officials warned the battle against the coronavirus pandemic was far from over. Some shops reopened in Germany and parents dropped their children off at nurseries in Norway as tight restrictions in place for weeks were lifted in parts of the continent.
Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 09:49 UTC
Germany urges China more transparency on the coronavirus outbreak and crisis management

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged China to be as transparent as possible about the coronavirus outbreak, as Beijing faces mounting pressure over its management of the crisis.
Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 09:49 UTC
Merkel calls for an end of “discussion orgies” as Germany moves out of a gradual lockdown

Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her frustration in a party meeting on Monday that moves to edge Germany out of lockdown had led to “discussion orgies” in some regions that risked higher rates of coronavirus infection, German media reported.
Tuesday, April 21st 2020 - 08:52 UTC
Ecuador receives temporary reprieve to defer interest payments

Ecuador received a temporary reprieve over the weekend when the government announced that a sufficient number of investors had agreed to a consent solicitation to defer interest payments.
Monday, April 20th 2020 - 08:56 UTC
Bolsonaro holds a “patriots” meeting and challenges lockdown measures

Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday again attended a public rally and attacked lockdown measures meant to fight the coronavirus, as supporters of the right-wing leader joined political motorcades around the country.
Monday, April 20th 2020 - 08:55 UTC
Argentine fisheries industry estimates exports to drop 30% this year because of COVID-19

Hard times ahead for fisheries exports. According to a paper circulated among members of Argentina's different fish industry chambers foreign market prospects are not encouraging since the main markets, Spain, Italy, China and the United States, are suffering the greatest impact from the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday, April 20th 2020 - 08:41 UTC
Chile has more than 10.000 virus tested positive cases; Magallanes Region, 553

Chile reported on Sunday that there were more than 10,000 people in the country with the coronavirus, the third-highest tally in Latin America, as the disease ravages the economy of the world's top copper producer.
Monday, April 20th 2020 - 08:35 UTC
Boris Johnson “on top of things”, says government; but where is he? asks the media

The British government insisted on Sunday that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was “on top of things” as he recovers from the coronavirus facing criticism of his early handling of the crisis.